Pan-African peer pressure
This week's African summit in Abuja is seen by some as a milestone on the road to political reform and economic recovery. Others believe it is part of a process to facilitate Western penetration of the continent, writes Gamal Nkrumah

Corporate bio-terrorism
Vandana Shiva claims that the corporate hi-jacking of global agriculture and the patenting of life forms can still be halted claims, writes Faiza Rady

Uncertain hope for Pakistan
After three years of military dictatorship, Pakistan is taking steps to reverse its international pariah status, reports Iffat Malik from Islamabad

Russian roulette
The October hostage crisis has spurred a muddy torrent of misinformation and is threatening to trample civil liberties in Russia. Shohdy Naguib, in Moscow, seeks answers from the chairman of the Russian Islamic Committee

The Iraqi connection
The US is threatening to come down hard on the Yugoslav Federation as the story of their military cooperation with Baghdad unfolds. Adisa Busuladzic reports from Belgrade

Republican grip still firm
The results of Tuesday's mid-term elections are widely seen as a test of US President George W Bush's popularity and his chances of winning a second term in 2004. Khaled Dawoud reports from Washington